University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Sign Six Players to National Letters of Intent
11/17/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
Nov. 17, 2011
Head coach Brad Frost has announced that six players have signed National Letters of Intent and will join the Golden Gopher women's hockey team next fall. Signing with Minnesota are Hannah Brandt (Vadnais Heights, Minn.), Brook Garzone (Sand Springs, Okla.), Amanda Leveille (Kingston, Ontario), Maryanne Menefee (Lansing, Mich.), Milica McMillen (St. Paul, Minn.) and Lee Stecklein (Roseville, Minn.).
"I am extremely excited about this recruiting class. We are losing some excellent seniors, so it was important to replace them with players who are outstanding, and we have done that," said Frost. "We once again kept the top Minnesota players in state and have added three other fantastic players. They fit with our program's values and I know that Gopher fans will enjoy watching them play."
Hannah Brandt was a member of the U.S. Under-18 Team that won a gold medal at the 2011 World Championships, and played on the U.S. National Team that went 6-0 at the 2011 Twelve Nations Invitational last August. Brandt is a senior at Hill-Murray High School, where she has led her team to four-straight conference championship titles and a fourth place finish at the 2011 Minnesota State High School Tournament. So far in her career, Brandt is a four-time All-Classic Suburban Conference honoree and a three-time all-state award winner. As a junior in 2010-11, she collected 45 goals and 25 assists for 70 points to lead Hill-Murray. Last season, Brandt was one of six players to be selected to the 2011 Star Tribune All-Metro first team, and was a second-team honoree as a sophomore in 2010. Brandt has lettered in hockey, soccer, academics, and link crew, and is a National Honor Society member. She is an "A" Honor Roll student. In addition to high school hockey, she has also played with the Minnesota Junior Whitecaps club team.
"I chose Minnesota because it has always been a dream of mine to play for the Gophers, and it is a school known for strong academics," said Brandt. "The hockey program and the academic opportunities make Minnesota a perfect fit for me."
"Hannah is one of the most skilled players to come out of the great state of Minnesota," said Coach Frost. "She has played on the USA U-18 team as well as the USA National team. Hannah has incredible puck skills, vision and a deadly shot. She has a knack for making those who play with her better. Hannah is passionate about the game of hockey, life and the University of Minnesota."
Brook Garzone, a native of Sand Springs, Okla., is a senior at Shattuck-St. Mary's High School in Faribault, Minn. She has played at forward and defense in her high school career, but will play forward at the University of Minnesota next year. As a team captain, she led Shattuck-St. Mary's to a 46-7-2 record and the USA Under-19 national title last season. Garzone scored 18 goals and 20 assists for 38 points as a junior. As a sophomore in 2009-10, Garzone's team won the USA Under-16 national title, becoming the school's first Under-16 team to win a national championship. Shattuck-St. Mary's was 47-7-6 that season, while Garzone scored 15 goals and 18 assists for 33 points. Prior to her time at Shattuck-St. Mary's, Garzone played with the Tulsa Flames and Jenks Varsity in her home state of Oklahoma. Garzone has participated in four USA Hockey development camps. In addition to hockey, she also competes in golf at Shattuck-St. Mary's and was a member of the lacrosse team in 2009-10. Garzone plans to major in business at the University of Minnesota, and has been an honor roll student.
"I have been a long-time fan of the University of Minnesota's women's hockey team, their coaches and its hockey traditions," said Garzone. "After my spring visit at the `U' and meeting some of the girls, I knew I wanted to be a part of the team."
"Brook continues the tradition of Shattuck St.Mary's players coming to the U. She plays for a great program and is well coached," explained Coach Frost. "Brook has tremendous speed and is a tough competitor. She has great vision and is very puck smart. Brook does the little things well, takes care of the details and will be a great fit with our program."
Amanda Leveille is a goalie from Kingston, Ontario, where she is a senior at Frontenac Secondary School. She participated in the 2011 Canada Under-18 Development Camp, and was named Top Goaltender at the 2011 Canadian National Under-18 Championship, where she was also named the MVP of the championship game after leading her team, Ontario Red, to the national title. Leveille has played for the Ottawa Lady Senators of the Provincial Women's Hockey League since 2010-11. Last season, she played in 19 games for the Lady Senators, with a goals against average of 1.60 and a .940 save percentage. So far this season, she has two shutouts in four games with a 1.18 goals against average. From 2005-10, Leveille played Boys' AAA hockey with the Junior Frontenacs. In addition to hockey, Leveille also competes in cross country, where she was named the Team MVP in 2009. She is an honor student at Frontenac Secondary School. She is active in volunteer work for organizations including the Royal Ottawa Hospital, Samaritans Purse and DIFD Saves for Lives.
"The University of Minnesota was a perfect fit for my academic, athletic, and personal aspirations," said Leveille. "The players and coaching staff are the best! Minnesota and Ontario are very similar, sharing a love of lakes and hockey, and I feel right at home here."
"Amanda is a fierce competitor and outstanding goalie," commented Coach Frost. "She plays on one of the top teams in Ontario and was the number-one goalie for Ontario Red at the prestigious Canadian U-18's. Amanda has the skills, ability and mentality to be a great goaltender for us and we are excited for her to wear the `M' next year."
Forward Maryanne Menefee is a senior at Lansing Eastern High School in Lansing, Mich., and plays for the Little Caesar's Under-19 AAA Hockey Club. She is a member of the U.S. Under-18 National Team, and has participated in USA Hockey development camps since 2008. With the Little Caesar's Under-19 team in 2010-11, she was the USA Hockey National Championship scoring leader (13 points), and was named the Tournament MVP at the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association (MAHA) State Tournament. She was also named the Tournament MVP at the 2010 MAHA State Tournament, where she was the second-highest scorer in the tournament with 11 points. In 2008-09, Menefee played with the Belle Tire Under-16 Club, and she was the Little Native Hockey League Tournament MVP. As a seventh and eighth grader, Menefee played with the Little Caesar's Under-14 team, and was the MAHA State Tournament points leader in 2008. She has led her club teams to MAHA state championships in every season since 2005-06. Menefee also participates in basketball and softball at Lansing Eastern High School, where she has earned five letters. She is an all-city, all-conference and all-district honoree in softball. She is a four-year member of the honor roll and honor guard, and is a three-year member of the National Honor Society. She intends to major in mechanical engineering.
"Out of all the colleges I visited, the University of Minnesota felt most like home," explained Menefee. "Everyone in Minnesota is so nice, I knew it would be a good place for me. I am looking forward to playing in a rink that was built for the women's hockey team. Also, I feel the coaching staff will help me move my game to the next level."
"Maryanne plays for a great coach and program in Detroit. She played in on Team USA's U-18 team this summer and has gained some great experience," said Coach Frost. "Maryanne sees the ice very well, has soft hands and an excellent release. She puts herself in great positions to shoot the puck and score some big goals. Maryanne will be a very good player for the Maroon and Gold."
Milica McMillen is a defenseman from St. Paul, Minn., and a senior at Breck High School. Last season in her junior year, she scored 12 goals and 14 assists for 26 points, and was her team's top-scoring defenseman. In 2010, she led her team to the Tri-Metro Conference championship. McMillen has played in four Minnesota State Tournaments with Breck, finishing fifth in 2007, second in 2008 and 2010, and coming in third in 2011. McMillen is a four-time All-Tri-State honoree, a two-time all-state award winner, and was named to the Minnesota State All-Tournament team three times. In her five years at Breck, she has scored 110 goals and 113 assists for 223 career points, including 21 goals and 23 assists for 44 point last year as a junior. She is a five-time hockey letterwinner at Breck, and also lettered once in track. Last August, McMillen participated in the USA Hockey Festival, and went on to play with Team USA in the Twelve Nations Cup in Finland. In 2010, she plaed on the U.S. Under-18 team that won a gold medal at the world championships. McMillen was selected to the Star Tribune All-Metro first team in both 2010 and 2011. She has also played club hockey with the Minnesota Junior Whitecaps.
"I decided on the University of Minnesota because it seemed like the right place for me," said McMillen. "I grew up wanting to be a Gopher because I live in St. Paul, and I took the opportunity that was presented. It's a very good school and a great hockey program, and I'm very excited to become a part of that."
"Milica has skill that others dream of. She is big and strong, has a great hockey IQ, and is able to quarter back a power play," explained Coach Frost. "Milica, like Hannah Brandt, has won a gold medal with the USA U-18 team and has already been a part of the USA National Team. Milica has dreamed of being a Gopher and we are thrilled to have her join our program next year."
Defenseman Lee Stecklein hails from Roseville, Minn., and Roseville Area High School. Stecklein has extensive experience with USA Hockey, having participated as a National Development Camp player since age 14. She is a member of the 2011 U.S. Under-18 Select Team, and played for the U.S. at the Under-18 World Championships in 2010. Last August, she was chosen to participate in the USA Hockey Festival, and took part in the Four Nations Pre-Camp this fall. At Roseville Area High School, Stecklein has led her team to Suburban East Conference championships the past three seasons, and a Minnesota state championship title in 2010. As a junior last season, she tallied 11 goals and 13 assists for 24 points, and was the top-scoring defenseman on her team. She earned all-state honors in 2011, and was honorable mention all-state in 2010. She has earned all-conference honors seven times in her career; twice in hockey, three times in lacrosse, once in tennis and once in soccer. Stecklein is a 12-time letterwinner at Roseville, earning letters in hockey, lacrosse, soccer, tennis and academics. She was an Academic All-State award winner in tennis. In addition, Stecklein plays hockey with the Minnesota Junior Whitecaps club team in the summer.
"I chose the University of Minnesota because I believe it is the best hockey program in the nation," said Stecklein. "I've always wanted to play hockey as a Gopher! Academically, the U of M has so much to offer, plus I have a long family history at this school. I can not wait to be a part of Minnesota women's hockey next year."
"Lee is a smooth skating defenseman with excellent size. She makes a great first pass, rushes the puck at appropriate times and makes smart hockey decisions," said Coach Frost. "Lee has been a standout defenseman for the USA U-18 team and will be a wonderful addition to our blue line here. She is another player who has worked hard to follow her dream and will now wear the `M' with great pride."